I will add to this just a little... I had a slightly weak battery in my FJR several weeks ago.. It would turn over just fine but would not fire up. Guess what, when I opened the throttle wide open it would fire... The battery was old on it so I knew it was just an old battery, but sounds like you guys with the Teneres..... After I put a new battery in, the FJR fired right up and good as new... As several of you have said, I wounder if its a voltage "issue".... For the people that are having start up issues, what electronic farkels do you have on the bike ? It might be a common "part" for the guys having issues...... just a thought

I will add to this just a little... I had a slightly weak battery in my FJR several weeks ago.. It would turn over just fine but would not fire up. Guess what, when I opened the throttle wide open it would fire... The battery was old on it so I knew it was just an old battery, but sounds like you guys with the Teneres..... After I put a new battery in, the FJR fired right up and good as new... As several of you have said, I wounder if its a voltage "issue".... For the people that are having start up issues, what electronic farkels do you have on the bike ? It might be a common "part" for the guys having issues...... just a thought

This is the issue. The 550 has an internal battery, there is no reason to have it on un-switched power. Even off, it's likely drawing current.

GPS was not on the bike for any of this time. But I suspect you're right, the cradle may have a short somewhere. However, the same style cradle on my DRZ does not drain its little battery and it sits for a month at a time without being ridden.

__________________
Later,
Michael
"If I can't pass at a reasonable speed I do it unreasonably." - jdmetzger

I know there's an entire thread dedicated to these tires. However, I wanted to hear from only ST owners...

Is anyone running the 705s?

How do you like 'em?

For those who have had more than one set, what kinda' mileage did you get out of 'em?

.

__________________I spent all my money on motorcycles, 4X4's, whiskey, and women...The rest I just wasted. (edited to fit/original phrase by "WIBO")

"There's a WEALTH of cool people and knowledge on ADV, there's also a decent sized pocket of douche bag assholes that think their ADV forum Post Count (Oddometer) is their badge at being experienced riders." goodcat8

I agree, there is a voltage leak somewhere. I outlined measuring 'dark current' in a similar post here or on the Super Tenere forum some time back.

Do you by any chance have a SWMotec powered tank bag? If installed the way the directions are, direct to the battery, it draws current even with nothing turned on, just the bag on the tank ring. And will kill the battery quickly. BTDT. It needs to be wired to switched power instead.

I messed up the original post, edits to correct my errors. Thats what I get from not looking it up again.

As for testing dark current, or parasitic draw with the key off, take a multi-meter, set to AMPERAGE in the 10 or 20 amp range and do the following:

Loosen the NEGATIVE terminal so you can easily pull it off. Touch the DMM probes to the terminal and the same battery post, note the reading, which should be 12-14 Volts, then with the probes staying connected, slide the terminal off so that the DMM is now in series with the removed terminal and the battery post. I've forgotten the Ma that spec is, but post what you find and it will be immediately apparent if it's too high. Should be around 45-54 Ma. Much higher than that indicates a problem.

And yes, the battery should easily last two weeks.

Ok. Battery reads about 12.8v across the terminals. The negative is losing 0.26 mA. IF you read across the poles on the fuse block for the GPS, it reads 0.26 mA even when the GPS is NOT in the cradle. So I moved the GPS to an un-switched spot on the fuse block. The battery is still losing 0.26mA on the negative side.

I don't know. I guess my electrical knowledge comes up a little short

__________________
Later,
Michael
"If I can't pass at a reasonable speed I do it unreasonably." - jdmetzger

__________________I spent all my money on motorcycles, 4X4's, whiskey, and women...The rest I just wasted. (edited to fit/original phrase by "WIBO")

"There's a WEALTH of cool people and knowledge on ADV, there's also a decent sized pocket of douche bag assholes that think their ADV forum Post Count (Oddometer) is their badge at being experienced riders." goodcat8

I'm lucky enough to be renting a newer Super Tenere for a month of touring in Europe this summer. Some of the countries I'm going through have spotty fuel availability. I'm wondering what the average real mileage guys are getting out of their bikes? In my case, there will be no offroad riding, mostly backroads, perhaps a mountain pass or 20 [Transfagaien in Romania ].

I'm on my second rear, still first front. I got about 5K miles out of the back, looks like one front will last for two rears for me. They're decent off road and pretty good on road.

Gracias, 20v...

.

__________________I spent all my money on motorcycles, 4X4's, whiskey, and women...The rest I just wasted. (edited to fit/original phrase by "WIBO")

"There's a WEALTH of cool people and knowledge on ADV, there's also a decent sized pocket of douche bag assholes that think their ADV forum Post Count (Oddometer) is their badge at being experienced riders." goodcat8